


Broke All the Rules, Played All the Fools

by Fluffypanda



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Banished Loki, Canon Divergence - Thor (2011), Donuts, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Iron Man 2, M/M, Palladium Poisoning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-07
Updated: 2017-04-07
Packaged: 2018-10-15 11:48:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10555826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fluffypanda/pseuds/Fluffypanda
Summary: Thor wasn't the only one banished to Midgard, and Loki had to find his way back to Asgard before the war with Jotunheim went too far, but he couldn't do it alone.Tony was planning to spend his final days alone after failing to find a replacement for palladium, but things changed when a man claiming to be a god invited him on a quest.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nonexistenz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nonexistenz/gifts).
  * Inspired by [[Art] Variance](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10560402) by [Nonexistenz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nonexistenz/pseuds/Nonexistenz). 



> It was great working with nonexistenz! I was really inspired to write something good for them! I hope you all like it too!
> 
>  
> 
> [Nonexistenz's Art on Tumblr](http://nonexistenz.tumblr.com/post/159318569417/part-of-the-frostiron-reversebang-2017-fic-on-ao3)

Loki stumbled as blinding, prismatic light gave way to the much gentler golden glow of home. The warmth of Asgard felt a little cloying after the sharp and fresh cold of Jotunheim’s air, but it was a relief to be safe in Heimdall's observatory nonetheless. Volstagg and Hogun supported a bleeding Fandral between them, Sif stood by their side, as they all waited to be dismissed from the presence of their king and rush to the healing room.

“Why did you bring us back?” Thor demanded, immediately.

“Do you realize what you've done?” With a fierce glare at Thor, Father growled and marched up the dais. “What you've started?”

“I was protecting my home,” Thor protested, like always blind to the consequences of his own actions.

“You cannot protect your friends. How can you hope to protect a kingdom?” Father pulled Hofund from the dais to disengage the Bifrost and threw it to Heimdall, who left to stand guard at the entrance of the observatory.

Father turned to Thor’s stalwart companions, his lips twisted in a snarl. The Warriors Three fidgeted anxiously under Father’s gaze, undoubtedly wondering why the Allfather hadn’t given them leave. Fandral grew increasingly pale as the wound in his shoulder continued to bleed out.

“There won't be a kingdom to protect if you're afraid to act!” Thor roared, seemingly unaware that his friends were even injured, “The Jotuns must learn to fear me, just as they once feared you.”

Loki shifted uneasily; he suspected, no, knew, that it wouldn’t be as simple as that, even if Thor was right about the Jotuns. They had sparked a war with a strange and powerful people for all that their world was in ruins. They would not cower in fear no matter how many Thor slaughtered on the battlefield. Then there was the matter of what the Jotun’s touch had done to Loki, a curse of some sort, the purpose of which Loki couldn’t fathom, yet.

“That's pride and vanity talking, not leadership. You’ve forgotten everything I've taught you, about a warrior's patience,” Father accused, snapping Loki out of his thoughts.

“While you wait and be patient, the Nine Realms laugh at us! The old ways are done. You'd stand giving speeches while Asgard falls!”

“You're a vain, greedy, cruel boy!” Father roared, each word hammered out with rage and disappointment.

With just as much venom, Thor spat back, “And you are an old man and a fool!”

Silence reigned as the echoes of Thor’s words faded, disturbed only by Fandral’s labored breathing. It was as if the world narrowed to just Father and Thor, Loki’s presence forgotten. Even Sif and the Warriors Three were ignored.

“Yes,” Father said quietly, “I was a fool to think you were ready.”

“Father—” Loki said, taking few steps forward beseechingly, only to be cut off by Odin with growl.

“Thor Odinson,” Father solemnly intoned. “You have disobeyed the express command of your king. Through your arrogance and stupidity, you have opened these peaceful Realms and innocent lives to the horror and desolation of war!”

With that last word, Father lifted Gungnir and plunged it into the center of the dais, once more activating the Bifrost. Distraught, he strode over to Thor, who finally seemed to grasp the gravity of what was happening.

“You are unworthy of these realms—” Odin tore away pieces of Thor’s armor. “—unworthy of your title—” Thor’s cape was next. “You’re unworthy…of the loved ones you have betrayed.”

Loki was filled with a quiet dread as guilt for the part he played in this creeped up on him. He didn’t intend for it to turn out like this. They weren’t even supposed to have made it to Jotunheim. Some minor trouble, a delay in the coronation, that was all he had been aiming for, not war and— banishment?

“I now take from you your power!” Mjølnir flew into Father’s hand. “In the name of my father—” Thor’s chainmail fell away. “and of his father before—” Father paused for the barest moment that nevertheless felt like an entirety.

“I, Odin Allfather, cast you out!” Father finished, using Mjølnir to blast Thor into the Bifrost portal and strip him of the last of his armor.

Loki looked at Father in shock, until that moment he hadn’t fully believed that Thor would really be banished. Thor always got away with his slip ups and escapades. Just as surprised, Thor’s companions lost all restraint and rushed to the edge of the portal.

“Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor,” Father whispered to Mjølnir, just at the edge of Loki’s hearing, before throwing it into the portal after Thor.

“Loki, think not that I have forgotten you,” Father rumbled, almost as an afterthought. “You and Thor’s companions cast your lot with Thor when you journeyed with him to Jotunheim.”

Sif and the Warriors Three froze in horror, surprised that, for once, by Thor’s side wasn’t the ideal place to be. Never had anything befallen them that wouldn’t have made a good story later.

“Father—” Loki pleaded, already certain he wouldn’t like what would follow, but once more Father cut him off.

“Every one of you defied me, gave your loyalty to one unworthy of it! Now, Thor’s fate is yours!” Father loudly proclaimed, looking each one of them in the eyes. “I hereby strip you of your powers and cast you out!”

First Sif, then the Warriors Three were tossed into the portal, their armor shattering around them just as it had for Thor. Finally, it was Loki’s turn. He barely caught Father’s pained look before he was engulfed in light.

★

★

Tony kicked at piece of rubble absently as he finished off the last of what little booze that survived both the party and the ensuing fight. Rhodey flew off over an hour ago, and here Tony was, still bumming around alone, in the remains of his kitchen with only the blue party lights to see by.

Sniffing at a streak of watermelon somehow still left on the suit, Tony supposed that it was just as well that he was alone. The only people he wanted to see were the ones he'd been distancing himself from and they were better off without him; he’d made sure of that. He had to admit, it was the worst birthday he ever had, and there was some stiff competition in that department.

A column of light erupted in the distance, far outside of town, near Escondido Canyon from the looks of it. The light reflected off of dark clouds, revealing stormy skies.

“JARVIS, what was that?”

[I couldn’t say. I am detecting large amounts of electromagnetic interference.]

“What do you say we go check it out?”

[I can’t recommend continued use of the suit.]

“I’m going to die whether I use it or not, Jarvis.”

[I am aware.] JARVIS’ brusque tone said a lot.

Tony took off through the busted glass window of his mansion, not taking particular care not to hit anything on his way out. He shot over Malibu at Mach speed. Less than a minute later, he arrived at the approximate location of the beam of light, a slightly flatter part of the canyon, though just like the rest, it was rocky and filled with scrubby plant life. Oddly, the thick cloud cover that darkened the sky moments ago had dissipated, revealing the stars above.

“JARVIS, do these stars look off to you?”

[They do not appear to be the ones usually seen from Earth.]

Up ahead, Tony could see a circular shape burned into the earth. The HUD magnified it, showing that it was made up of a swirling pattern akin to Celtic knots.  A tall and willowy man in a long, dark leather coat with gleaming metal fittings stood next to the pattern and watched Tony with interest. Black hair curled around the man’s neck, a stark contrast to his skin which appeared milky white in the moonlight.

Tony was almost dead certain that tall, dark, and handsome knew something about the light, after all what are the chances he’d just coincidentally been out in the wilderness, by himself, in the middle of the night for completely unrelated reasons? Pretty damn slim.

In Tony’s ear, JARVIS whispered, [Sir, I’m encounter reports of similar events east of here, the furthest of which was located near Puente Antiguo, New Mexico.]

“Hey! Funny, meeting you here. What brings you to this fine patch of dirt?” Tony asked, landing a few feet away from both the circle and the man. No response seemed forthcoming, so Tony continued, “Look, I’m detecting something a bit… suspicious going on. Huge amounts of electromagnetic energy, sudden and strange weather patterns, misaligned stars, bolts of light, this thing”--Tony waved vaguely at the pattern on the ground--“all happening between here and New Mexico. And here’s what I think: you know something about it.”

“You wish to discover the cause of these phenomena?” The man’s voice had an unusual accent, like something out of British theatre and was just as measured as the assessing look he gave Tony. “To defend this realm if it proves a danger?”

“It’s what I do--protect people. You might have heard.”

“You’re a hero then.”

“Eh, debatable.” Tony shrugged uncomfortably. “You don’t know who I am?”

“I am not from around here,” the man said, archly, though somehow Tony got the sense he was laughing behind the haughtiness.

Tony demanded, “Who are you?”

“Loki, son of Odin, prince of Asgard, and god of…stories.”

Tony blinked then nearly snorted. Loki had such confidence, such vivacity that, for one surreal moment, Tony almost believed him. This guy was either out of his mind or playing some game. From the gleam in Loki’s eye, Tony suspected it was a bit of both.

Playing along, Tony asked, “What’s a god like you doing in a place like this?”

“I require your services,” Loki explained, stepping forward into Tony’s space with the first blush of dawn blooming behind him. “I have no knowledge of this realm and am barred from showing my true might here, therefore I find myself in need of a champion on a quest for an artifact of great power.”

That was such bullshit, a cheap rip-off of the quest for the Holy Grail or the hunt for the Golden Fleece. It was the oldest story in the book, but damn if Tony didn’t want to run with it.

“Tony Stark. They call me Iron Man,” he said by way of introducing himself. “I might be able to help you.”

★

★

Slender fingers plucked a pink frosted donut from the box sitting on Tony’s lap with the barest amount of hesitation. Everything had a fuzzy sense of unreality to it, especially the self-styled god sitting in the giant donut sign with him. It didn’t help that Loki looked at the treat like it was the most exotic food he’d ever eaten.

“They don’t have these up in fairyland, then?” Tony lifted his own donut and took a bite.

“Not as such, certainly not in such an alarming color. Why is there a hole?”

“You know, I never really thought about it,” Tony said contemplatively and took another bite of donut. “JARVIS?”

[It appears while there are many debates as to the exact origin of the donut’s hole, the consensus is that it allows for more even cooking, thus preventing a doughy center.]

“There you have it.”

“This Jarvis, he can answer any question?”

“Just about anything known to man,” Tony explained. “He has access to databases around the world and anything anyone put on the internet ever.”

Loki looked a slight bit disappointed about that, a small frown played at the edges of his lips and the tiniest wrinkle formed in-between his eyebrows. The soft breeze made strands of his dark hair dance across his skin, turned golden by the morning sun. His unreal and ethereal beauty prompted Tony to reach out to cup Loki’s cheek, but in the end it was metal that met the pale skin, as Tony had never removed the suit’s gauntlet.

After a moment of stillness, Loki’s eyes wandered up the suit to land on Tony’s face. A smile, secret and not a little bit haughty, softened Loki’s lips as his fingers trailed across Tony’s face, mirroring Tony’s gesture.

"Sir, I'm gonna have to ask you to exit the donut!" a voice shouted from below, causing Tony to drop his hand.

The pounding headache that had eased to manageable levels in Loki’s presence came roaring back. It was an unfortunately familiar man in a black trench coat and an eye patch calling to him. He’d kind of hoped that what with only having days left to live, he’d never have to deal with the bastard again, but it looked like he was shit out of luck.

Reluctantly, he got down from the donut, taking Loki with him. Tony immediately regretted the trip, as short as it was, when the donut in his stomach rebelled, adding nausea to the list of the ways he was suffering. Rather than going directly over to where Fury waited for them in the shop, Tony swung over to the counter to order some sorely-needed coffee. It wouldn’t do his stomach any good, but there was no way Tony was going to deal with Fury without some kind of pick-me-up. Loki also got a cup and loaded it up with cream and sugar while Tony just drank his straight and looked on in interest.

Tony slid into Fury’s booth and clunked his helmet down on to the table. Between the suit limiting his movements and the way it scraped against the bright yellow plastic seat, it was a hassle sitting down, and Tony wasn’t in any mood to put up with bullshit. Thankfully, Loki sat next to Tony without saying a word.

“I told you I don’t want to join your super-secret boy band,” Tony grumbled.

“But you are making new friends, I see. I thought you did everything yourself? It wasn’t working out for you?” Fury chuckled.

“It’s… It’s… It’s… I’m sorry. I don’t wanna get off on the wrong foot. Do I look at the patch or the eye?”

“The eye. Always the eye,” Loki suggested with a grin.

“Honestly I’m a bit hung over.” He’d been hitting the bottle pretty hard, though the heavy-metal poisoning didn’t help either. “I’m not sure if you’re real or if I’m having…”

“I am very real. I’m the realest person you’re ever gonna meet. Now, who’s your friend?”

Tony still wasn’t sure Loki wasn’t some nutcase or just playing him for a fool, but he was worth keeping an eye on for now. Tony would be damned if he told SHIELD who Loki claimed he was, or his likely connection to whatever happened last night. Tony hadn’t even got a chance to find out more about Loki’s “quest,” and if SHIELD got their sticky little fingers on Loki, well, that’d be the last Tony would see of him.

“Who? Lester here? Or was it Lawrence?”

“Luke,” Loki provided, complete with a hurt smile, as if he really was disappointed Tony didn’t remember and was trying not to show it. Damn, he was good.

“Right, Luke. Well you know how things are at parties, sometimes you end up meeting people.”

“I see. I didn’t think anyone in that crowd was prone to sticking around.” Fury leaned forward over the table, like he was trying to menace answers out of Tony. “Didn’t everyone clear out after you little tiff with your pal, Rhodes?”

“Clearly not everyone,” Loki interjected with an annoyed frown, which Fury returned. Loki clung to Tony’s arm, seemingly not minding the uncomfortable press of the armor against his flesh.

Tony didn’t have enough coffee for this; it looked like convincing Fury to overlook “Luke” might be a tough sell. Honestly, Tony wasn’t sure he wanted Loki around for whatever conversation followed, but he wasn’t quite willing to let him out of his sight either. He turned to look back at the counter, but found it empty. “Where’s the staff?”

“That’s not looking so good,” Fury said, gesturing to Tony’s neck and the spreading signs of palladium poisoning.

“I’ve been worse.” Tony took another swig of his coffee, which was rapidly running out, and there was not a person in sight to refill it for him. The longer he suffered Fury’s presence, the more he desperately wished for something stronger.

Spies were the nosiest sons-of-a-bitches Tony knew, and he regularly dealt with paps. What was worse was that you could never tell what they did or didn’t know. They noticed everything, especially the things people didn’t want them to notice, and hoarded all the information until they could use it.

“We’ve secured the perimeter, but I don’t think we should hold it for too much longer,” reported a voice that Tony didn’t expect to hear in this context.

 _“_ You’re fired,” Tony told Natalie from legal aka his new PA and SHIELD spy over his sunglasses. Tony corrected himself: the worst part about spies was that they could be anyone. This was why Tony had trust issues. Though looking back on it, he really should have suspected something after the way she took down Happy in the ring.

“That’s not up to you,” she replied as she sat down next to Fury.

“Tony, I want you to meet Agent Romanoff.”

“I’m a SHIELD shadow. Once we knew you were ill, I was tasked to you by Director Fury,” Natalie, Romanoff, whatever she was called, added.

“Should you really be saying this in front of him?” Tony jerked his head over to “Luke” and only just stopped himself from wincing. Oh, God, he hated hangovers. “I thought you were all about classified this and that.”

Loki pulled away from Tony in feigned shock, only to cling harder a moment later. “I can keep a secret!” he cried with an astonishing amount of earnestness for someone so full of it.

“I suppose not, but right now I’ve got you where I want you. I’ll take my chances.” Fury leaned back in that confident, asshole-ish manner that meant whoever was doing it wanted you to think they were in control. Tony would know; he used it sometimes.

“What do you want from me?”

“What do we want from you? What do you want from me?” Fury ranted, as Romanoff left, presumably for some sort of secret spy business. Fury’s voice got louder and more belligerent as he went on, exacerbating Tony’s headache. “You have become a problem, a problem I have to deal with. Contrary to your belief, you are not the center of my universe. I have bigger problems than you in the southwest region to deal with.”

Tony didn’t look at Loki. Whatever was going on in the southwest region could conceivably be completely unrelated to the weird stuff Loki was clearly involved in. Just because the other events happened in the southwest, it didn’t follow that they were Fury’s “bigger problems.” Just like it didn’t follow that just because Hammer hadn’t made anything but garbage in the last twenty years, he couldn’t come out with something worth the money the government was paying for it.

Fat chance of that, mysterious beams of light and rearranged stars were exactly the sort of thing SHIELD would be interested in. At least Loki was doing his part and playing the unobtrusive and confused fling well.

Romanoff returned and placed a small case containing a single syringe on the table in front of Tony. “This is lithium dioxide. It’ll clear that right up,” she said, tapping her neck right around where the signs of palladium poisoning were probably showing on Tony.

“We’re trying to get you back to work,” Fury added.

“Give me a couple of boxes of that. I’ll be right as rain.”

“It’s not a cure, it just abates the symptoms,” Romanoff explained, matter-of-factly. Tony was probably imagining the tone of apology, sympathy, or maybe even regret in her words.

“Doesn’t look like it’s gonna be an easy fix.”

“Trust me, I know. I’m good at this stuff. I’ve been looking for a suitable replacement for palladium. I’ve tried every combination, every permutation of every known element,” Tony snapped.

“Well, I’m here to tell you, you haven’t tried them all.”

★

Doubts clouded Loki’s mind on the journey to Tony Stark’s abode, traveling by air. The fact that his so called “champion” was dying had slipped his notice, he was ashamed to say. How had it taken him until the conversation with Romanoff and Fury to see the signs? Stark would be of no use to Loki dead, and while some manner of cure was promised, it seemed as if Stark would be occupied for some time attempting to create it.

Loki’s doubts only increased upon reaching Stark’s mansion, the once beautiful home was in ruins. Shattered glass littered the floor, letting in the elements, the ceilings and walls gaped with crumbling holes, and smashed pipes dripped water on broken furniture.

“Excuse the mess, things got a bit out of hand last night,” Stark said as he led Loki through the wreckage to a less damaged section of the house.

“Quite so,” Loki agreed, distractedly.

Stark looked to be a poor choice for aid. He plainly had troubles of his own, and while there had been occasions where Loki could have used that to his advantage, currently Loki had nothing to offer him, stripped of his powers as he was. Stark would have to fix his own problems before Loki could use him.

Yet, Loki was reluctant to abandon Stark to look for alternatives. It was vital that Loki regained his powers and returned to Asgard before the war with Jotunheim truly broke out. He could find the passage between realms and return to Asgard without them, but it would do him little good. Father had banished him along with Thor, so he’d not be allowed to stay; Father was much too stubborn for that. Other realms were no better. In his weakened state, he’d be prey to any of the fools that held a grudge for his tricks.

With no choice but to remain on Midgard until his powers were restored and his banishment lifted, Loki’s only recourse was to seek aid in that endeavor, which presented its own difficulties. Loki was passingly familiar with Midgard, unlike Thor and his companions, who were no doubt blundering around at that very moment. However, he didn’t have enough knowledge to trick any but the most dimwitted of mortals into believing he was one of them for long.

The strong possibility that no one else on Midgard would be able to take Stark’s place added to Loki’s reluctance. Unlike the Realm Eternal, Midgard was woefully short on heroes, and until Stark, Loki had never seen one that could possibly match Thor for strength.

“Here we are,” Stark proclaimed, walking into a room overlooking the ocean. Its gleaming white walls were adorned with works of art and several pieces of furniture rested about the room. “You can chill here while I get rid of the spies. If you need anything, just ask Jarvis.”

Loki waited for several minutes after Stark left to silently stalk after him, careful to avoid the SHIELD agents now patrolling the mansion. When he finally located Stark again, he had removed his armor and sat with Fury on a balcony facing the ocean. Both were unconcerned by the wreckage around them, not even sparing a glance at the gull that had flown in and began pecking at gravel in the burnt out room. Comfortable conversation had already sprung up between the two. Loki stayed back, within the shadows, to listen in.

“…have anything to do with the three suspected extraterrestrials we picked up at the sites of what I’m told are some very difficult to explain anomalies last night, would he?”

“Aliens, really?” Tony scoffed. “I know you guys have this whole Men in Black thing going on, but suspecting the guy I picked up last night of trying to invade the Earth is a bit much.”

“Look, at this point I don’t care much who or what he is. He’s a distraction, one you can’t afford.”

“So, what? You’re going to take him? Hide him away in your deep, dark dungeons, with the ‘other aliens’ because you think he might be one?” Stark sneered.

“That thing in your chest is based on unfinished technology and you need to figure it out,” Fury ground out. “Let me handle extraterrestrial relations.”

“Yeah, no. He’s staying with me. Get out of my house.”

“Wait! Howard said the arc reactor was the stepping stone to something greater. He was about to kick off an energy race that was gonna dwarf the arms race. He was on to something big, something so big that it was gonna make the nuclear reactor look like a triple-A battery.” Fury stared Stark dead in the eye and continued, **“** He said that you were the only person with the means and knowledge to finish what he started. Are you that guy? Are you? ‘Cause if you are, then you can solve the riddle of your heart.”

“Just him, or Anton Vanko in on this too?”

“Anton Vanko is—”

Loki slipped away and headed back to the room where Stark left him, having heard more than enough. The conversation was enlightening. These mortals, SHIELD, already had some of Thor’s companions and possibly Thor himself in their custody. It was imperative that Loki not meet the same fate as, judging by Stark’s reaction, their hospitality would leave much to be desired. More than that, however, Loki must be able to move freely if his schemes were to come to fruition.

“Jarvis, what is Tony Stark’s relationship to SHIELD?” Loki queried to the empty room, hoping that he hadn’t misunderstood and Jarvis could indeed hear him. The response came seconds later to Loki’s relief.

[While not openly hostile, relations between Sir and SHIELD are somewhat tense. Sir’s wild card tendencies are the subject of much of SHIELD’s scrutiny. In addition to monitoring his activities, they have tried to recruit Sir on a number of occasions, presumably to bring him under their control, but he is understandably reluctant to join, and the refusal appears to make them nervous.]

“Do you believe they would detain me against his wishes?”

[It is difficult to say for certain. It is likely, given the most recent interactions between Sir and Director Fury that they would not detain you without significant cause as they seem to designate Sir as more of a “troublesome ally” rather than a threat.]

“In that event that SHIELD tried to apprehend me, would Stark be able to protect me?”

[I do not have enough data on SHIELD to make an accurate judgement, however I find it is nearly impossible to stand in the way of what Sir wants to accomplish for long.]

In other words, Stark offered a measure of protection from SHIELD and possibly other forces as well, provided Loki could keep him invested. Stark was clever for a mortal, that much was obvious, yet he agreed to aid Loki in his quest. Loki knew it was more an interest in the mystery that Loki offered than any real belief in Loki’s lies. Going forward, Loki would have to tread carefully in order to keep Stark as an ally. They were playing a complex game, a swapping of truths and lies between two skilled liars. Fortunately Loki never played by the rules.

A disturbance in the air alerted Loki to the arrival of another, much later than it would have typically been noted. There weren’t many people who could sneak up on him; it appeared Agent Romanoff was one of them. In some ways she reminded him of Sif, a powerful woman warrior, though the similarities beyond that were shallow. For all the years she had lived, Sif remained naïve in ways that this mortal had not, and in that way, Agent Romanoff presented a danger.

Loki casually turned around and, adopting the persona of “Luke,” feigned surprise at the figure in the doorway. “Agent Romanoff?”

“I don’t recall seeing you at the party last night,” she said without any inflection to her voice. She kept her head tilted, as if she were curious to hear Loki’s response.

“No?” Loki tilted his head, mirroring her, and endeavored to look confused.

“No,” she confirmed, impassive and cold. “And I did a very thorough check of the attendees.”

“Ah, well, I came late. Wasn’t invited,” Loki explained, sheepishly, as if embarrassed to be caught out. “It was worth it, though. All of this is so exciting, no one at home would be believe me! Uh, not that I’ll tell anyone about it.”

“See that you don’t,” Agent Romanoff replied, coolly, before turning to leave. Listening for her nearly silent footsteps, Loki didn’t let his act drop until she was well and truly gone.

★

Agent Romanoff and Director Fury were gone; a few SHIELD agents were left guarding the perimeter, but they weren’t of concern to Loki. Loki moved freely about the mansion as he sought out Tony Stark. When he located the mortal, he was staring at a silver case in the same burned-out room overlooking the ocean as before. The case was emblazoned with the words: “PROPERTY OF H. STARK.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think you’re a bit more familiar with Earth than you’re letting on,” Stark said in lieu of a greeting, only just tearing his eyes from the case.

Loki carefully stepped around the rubble to approach Stark, irresistibly drawn forward. For a moment, Stark looked tired and fragile, but it passed, and Loki once more saw the brash and vibrant man who all but welcomed Loki in his banishment.

“It’s true that this is not my first journey to Midgard, but my last visit was hundreds of years ago. This world is quite different from the one I recall.”

“Yeah, I’m not buying it,” Stark said, folding his arms. “You play a good game, but there is no way this is your first trip here in however many centuries.”

“Oh?” Loki leaned forward, eager to hear Stark’s theories. “What possibly could have brought you to that conclusion?”

“The way you take your coffee.”

“Pardon?” Loki was shocked enough to let it show, albeit temporarily. He composed himself before Stark answered.

“You knew exactly what those packets of sugar and cream were and exactly how much of each you wanted, without having ever seen anyone use them before.” Stark grinned a familiar sort of grin, one that Loki was sure had graced his own face a number of times. “There were other little things, but that was what first made me suspicious.”

“Very good,” Loki purred, closing the distance between them in a few steps.

The mortal was smarter than Loki had anticipated. He didn’t particularly mind being found out; it just meant taking a slightly different approach. Loki draped himself over the mortal’s back seductively. It had been ages since he’d indulged in carnal relations, even as a way to get what he wanted, but it would be no hardship to do so now. “You are correct. I have, on occasion, visited Midgard in secret, though I am by no means an expert in this Realm.”

Stark went still under Loki, but Loki didn’t give him a chance to twist away. Loki began massaging Stark’s shoulders and neck in small circles, and when Stark didn’t pull away, Loki continued, building up to bigger circles that encompassed the full width of Stark’s shoulders. Gradually, the muscles there began loosening as Loki worked them.

“For that reason I have need of you.” Loki drew out his words, voicing them softly in Stark’s ear. Loki let his hands wander down from Stark’s shoulders, skimming his chest, and then dropped lower still. “Are you willing, Stark?”

“Tony,” he panted, breathlessly. “Call me Tony.”

Tony, the name buzzed through Loki’s mind, as warm and seductive as the man in his arms and almost as tangible. “Tony,” rolled off of Loki’s tongue, the sound of it velvet against his lips.

“I’m-I’m not sure about this,” Tony stuttered, biting back a moan as Loki worked his hands over his body. So sweet was the sound that Loki almost regretted the inevitable conclusion of this game they played.

“I have every confidence,” Loki uttered into the nape of Tony’s neck, then punctuated it with a scrape of his teeth. “Will you aid me in my quest, Tony?”

“I’m dying,” Tony blurted out, stopping everything.

Loki’s hands dropped away, and Stark drew away from him as unbalanced as Loki felt. The proclamation shouldn’t have come as a shock. He already knew as much from Stark and Director Fury’s interactions, yet hearing Stark voice the words at that moment shined a new light on the notion. As if mortal lives weren’t fleeting enough.

“I…” Rather than continue, Stark shook himself and gathered the silver case. He took a few steps deeper into the mansion then turned. “That was the first time I told anyone.”  

Loki watched Stark go in silence.

★

The image of Howard Stark flickered away as the film reel cut out. A cure, a fix for what ailed Tony’s heart was in sight, but his heart felt more wrecked than ever. Slowly, Tony sensed Loki standing behind him, in the shadows of the workshop. He wasn’t sure how Loki had gotten in without Jarvis alerting him; he wasn’t sure he wanted to know either. He wiped his eyes and turned to him.

“I’m his ‘greatest creation,’ he says.” Tony chuckled, though he suspected he hadn’t really managed to cover the pain in his voice.

“This comes as a surprise to you?”

“Dad wasn’t my biggest fan,” Tony dryly replied. “I was never good enough, never the son he wanted.”

Loki was silent as he padded closer to Tony and laid one hand on his shoulder. He pursed his lips as if he wanted to say something, but no words seemed forthcoming. Slowly, Tony placed his hand over Loki’s, marveling at its pleasant coolness. It was grounding in the tumult of emotion boiling over in Tony now.

Tony always knew his father had high hopes for him, just like he knew he almost constantly disappointed him. To hear even the tiniest sliver of something that could constitute as praise from him, to know that he cared, that he actually believed in Tony, well, it made Tony happy, which was stupid, because while he loved his father and missed him, he was nowhere near ready to forgive him for all the yelling matches, for the drinking, for never being there when Tony needed him, and especially for getting himself and Mom killed in a goddamn car accident. It was doubly stupid because not only had he never said any of this to Tony’s face, it smacked of self-congratulation. Too little, too damn late.

Taking a deep breath, Tony looked up at Loki and was startled to see some sort of kinship there, a form of commiseration. It was as heartening as it was unexpected. This god, alien, whatever, who he’d known less than twenty four hours, understood something about Tony that he’d always tried to hide. What other masks might he see past?


End file.
